


Better than Gold

by SirBrian



Category: Uncharted
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 07:53:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4383509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirBrian/pseuds/SirBrian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sully has told many tales about the women from his past, but never this one. SullyOC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Naughty Dog owns all, except for my original characters

_Bolivia, 1989 (2 years before Nate)_

* * *

The narrow streets could not hold the number of people in them. Everyone, from businessmen to the housewives shopping for groceries, was shoulder to shoulder. They nudged and pushed each other with familiarity. The heat of the day and stuffiness in the crowd was stifling. Occasionally men on scooters would try to squeeze through and the people would part to make way for them.

Hiding in a group of traders, Victor Sullivan managed to sidle into a smaller road where groups of men congregated in doorways, cigarettes hanging precariously from their mouths, while they conversed in hushed voices. They glanced at the stranger that passed them, but took no interest; best to stay out of the way of a man that would no doubt lead to trouble.

A few children ran across his path, screaming joyfully as they chased a worn football. A group of women followed soon after, baskets hooked on their arms as they headed towards the market stalls on the main street. They glanced at Sully as he passed by under the brim of their hats, trying not to make direct eye contact. They hurried by him, hitching their long skirts up to avoid tripping, before resuming their original pace once they were a fair distance away.

Sully didn’t know where he was going, but he needed to find somewhere quiet, just for a few days. He’d stolen a few things, killed a few men and now there were people that wanted him dead; just the usual. Hopefully they weren’t pissed off enough to follow him half way across the world, although Europeans could be pretty persistent.

He noticed a couple in an alleyway, giving a knowing huff as he sauntered by. However, about two metres further he heard a pained female cry from the same alley. Sully paused, pivoting on his heel, debating whether or not it was worth it. It wasn’t really his business to get involved. There were other people about, but they were either deliberately taking no notice or had not heard the commotion. Sully was on the verge of taking another step in the opposite direction, but his own thoughts paused his foot: he could not abide unfair play from anyone besides him.

Striding confidently back to the alley, he poised his hand to grab his gun. Someone was struggling, but they stopped when a blunt force came into contact with their face. With his back against the wall Sully peered round the corner. A man, who had to have been not much younger than Sully but with a much broader build, had his dirty hand firmly planted around a young lady’s neck. Her struggling was clearly in vain; every time she tried to throw a slap or a punch or tried to wriggle free he merely countered it or tightened his grip.

‘I think you’ll find it’s rude to treat a lady like that, buddy.’ Sully had crept up on both of them. He was right behind the man, who turned to be greeted by a fist to the jaw. The man staggered backwards, losing his footing and slumping to the floor in a mixture of pain and surprise. He clutched at his bruising face, whimpering pathetically.

‘And that could’ve been a lot harder,’ Sully scoffed, flexing his hand out with a satisfying crack from his knuckles. He turned his attention to the young lady, who was supporting herself against the wall, watching the scene unfold. ‘You okay, lady?’

She didn’t reply, in fact she backed away, her body shaking slightly from the shock of it all.

‘Lemme take a look,’ Sully continued, pointing at the proud bruises on her face. She glanced between him and the man still creased up on the floor, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Sully could tell by her scrutinizing eyes that she was weighing up her choices. ‘I’m not gonna hurt ya’.’ She made up her mind. Carefully she moved towards Sully presenting her face to him. He brought his hand to her chin, tilting her head with his thumb and forefinger. She flinched noticeably, but whether it was from the sore spots on her face or the contact Sully didn’t know.

As her face caught the light her features became more visible. Her skin was tanned but not as dark as the rest of the local townspeople and her face was splashed with freckles. She could only have been half Bolivian at the most.

Sully scrutinised all the bruises, some were bound to scar but no real damage was done. ‘Just get some ice on that.’ She pulled away from him with the slightest nod.

‘Not the first time,’ she said through heavy breathing, her English words coated with a Spanish accent.

Her attacker was now climbing to his feet, pulling himself up on the nearby wall. He was still rubbing his jaw, but the look on his face had changed from stupefied to pure anger. ‘Bastardo,’ he growled at Sully, moving towards him, fists clenching. Sully was ready for a second round, readying his fist also, but the young woman forced her way between him and the other man.

‘Dejar. Ahora.’  She glared at the man, refusing to break eye contact. Her voice was much firmer, although her breathing was still paced. The man snarled gently, glaring at both figures before him. Sully pulled his shirt back just a little, letting the flash of light off his pistol catch the man’s eye. With an obvious threat, the man backed away, departing through the other end of the alley.

‘What was that all about?’ he asked, letting his shirt flop back to cover his gun and turning to the young lady. The woman ran a hand through her hair, pushing the stray curls back from her face, but did not utter a word. Instead, with her eyes fixed on the ground, she moved to push past him.

‘Well hold on there.’ Sully almost attempted to grab her arm, but refrained from such a brash gesture. ‘You sure you’re alright, lady?’

The woman slipped past him, pausing at the entrance of the alley way and just loud enough for him to hear said, ‘Gracias, señor.’ Without another word she vanished from view, the tail end of her skirt being the last thing to slip out of sight. Sully watched her go, as she ran from the scene of the assault, fading into the large mass of people he had just come from. He grunted, almost indignantly that she had not been more friendly, but carried on his original path to…wherever it was that he planned on holing up.

* * *

 

Translations:

Dejar. Ahora. - Leave. Now.


	2. Chapter 2

The light heat of the morning gave way to a dense, sweltering midday sun. Families had started dissipating from the streets to find shelter in their homes and gather for lunch. In the brief moment that a trader turned to greet his relative Sully had the chance to steal a few bananas from the unsuspecting man’s cart which he ate as he continued along the many roads of the Bolivian town.

He had considered spending a little time doing what he did best; find a museum or gallery – somewhere with things of worth – and help himself to some valuable items. It might give him some excitement. Of course, rescuing a damsel in distress had been enjoyable enough, but it hadn’t exactly been the most testing of brawls.

Up ahead Sully spotted a sign for a hotel hanging rusted of its fastenings from the side of a building. He slipped his hand into his pocket and rolled the coins there about in his palm. There was just enough. As he approached he began mentally cataloguing all possible exits – a few rooms with balconies that opened out on to adjoining building’s roofs, pipes that could be climbed to reach the roof – just in case he felt like skipping out on the bill.

The building was slightly run down and the room wasn’t in the best condition but there was a bed that Sully was all too pleased to collapse on to.

x

A warm breeze sweeping in through the open window woke Sully. He rolled over to see a deep red sky as the sun set behind the rows of tiled roofs. At least the heat wasn’t so unbearable anymore. He sat up, stretched out his arms, rolled his shoulders and arched his back. The bed hadn’t done his body any good, but he’d slept on much worse so he couldn’t complain.

As the day passed into night, a different life came to the town. Music could be heard in the distance and the chatter from patrons in bars began to rise. No point wasting his evening in his room when there were bars with cold beer and cooked food.

Stepping out on to the streets now was a much pleasanter walk. There was no one shoving and pushing to get to where they needed to go, just a few young men loitering with bottles of alcohol. They whistled at the young women that passed them by, some of which giggled shyly while others yelled angrily at them. A few of the women took notice of Sully, either smiling or taking second glances, which he reciprocated with a charming smirk.

Two blocks away from the hotel Sully came across a bar. A lone man was stood under the awning smoking a cigarette, and he passed Sully an amicable nod as he entered the building.

A few of the patrons that were scattered about glanced as Sully headed towards the bar, but turned back to their own conversations with grunts of disinterest. There was a young man collecting empty bottles from the tables that also acknowledged him. He leant on the wooden counter scrutinizing the alcohol that was just out of reach. His gaze fixed on the brown glass bottles in the fridge. An ice-cold beer would be just the ticket.

The young man with the bottles threw them all into a bin that was just out of sight before finally setting his full attention on Sully.

‘Buena noches,’ he said with a pleasant smile.

‘Buena noches,’ Sully replied in turn. ‘A bottle of beer and whatever the chef’s cooking would go down a treat.’ The young man nodded, turning to grab a beer from the fridge behind him. He uncapped the bottle and passed it across the counter to Sully.

‘If you wait a moment your food won’t be long, señor.’

‘Gracias.’

The young man vanished through a set of beaded curtains, calling to someone in the back. Beer in hand, Sully took a seat in the far corner of the bar, reclining in the chair and stretching his legs out under the table. The beer was beautifully chilled and the first refreshing drink he’d had in a few days. He wanted to savour it and paced himself drinking it; each gulp was so satisfying and for a moment he could pretend that a mob of Europeans might not be on their way to South America.

The delicate click of ladies shoes approached his table.

‘Aqui tienes, señor.’

Sully looked up to thank the server, but his words caught in his throat. The server was just as stunned. It was the young lady from that morning, although the left side of her face looked a lot worse for wear than it had earlier. Someone had clearly found her for a second bout. There was a small cut on her lip and above her eyebrow and the bruises from earlier had turned a deep shade of purple.

She set down the plate of food in front of him.

‘Thanks.’ Sully smiled as best he could, but was really more concerned about the lady in front of him. ‘What happened?’

She turned her face away from him and attempted to cover it further with the long curls of her dark brown hair. ‘Sorry, señor, I have to get back to work.’

‘Hold on…’ But just like before, she was gone, through the beaded curtains. Sully scowled, taking another sip of his drink. ‘Ain’t no way a pretty lady should have a thing like that done to her.’

The food was good; a whole lot better than the food he’d been helping himself too on his journey here. As he ate he considered the young lady who was working in the back. He quite fancied the idea of showing her attacker what for; a swift punch to the nose would set him straight. She had passed him a couple more times, serving meals to the men on the other tables. She kept her head low and her movements brisk. She never made eye contact with anyone except for the young man behind the bar. With him she seemed somewhat friendly. However, Sully noticed that if she ever lingered too long outside of the kitchen a harsh voice from behind the curtains would call her back.

She returned to his table for a second time when she came to collect his empty plate.

‘Would you like another beer, señor?’

‘Yeah sure, why not?’

She brought a fresh bottle of the same drink he had just finished. As she bent down to place it on the table, Sully leant in close enough to whisper into her ear. He gently clutched his hand over hers just to catch her for that moment, otherwise she might have darted away like she seemed to do so well. His grasp surprised her, but she did not push him away.

‘Was it your friend from earlier that did that to you?’ he asked, gesturing at the scarring on her face. She turned slightly to look him in the eye, her brow furrowed in confusion.

‘You mean Señor Delgado?’

‘Whoever the guy was that I right hooked this morning, yeah.’

‘Then sí, señor.’

‘How in the hell did he track you down?’ As Sully recalled he had frightened the son of a bitch off long before he would have been able to see where the woman had gone.

She pulled away, forcing Sully to relinquish his grip on her. She removed the empty beer bottle from in front of him. Sully was still waiting for a response, but the woman didn’t seem willing to give it up. She was just about to walk away from him when she murmured, ‘He’s my boss.’ A wistful smirk came to her face. ‘Maybe I should not ask for a raise again.’

Sully let out a deep, short chuckle although he shouldn’t have, however, he liked the idea that she might be warming to him enough to joke with him. ‘I could always step into that kitchen and show him a better place to stick his knives.’ The woman wanted to giggle, but the movement clearly pained her so she stifled it quickly.

‘Gracias, but I will handle it myself.’

‘Entrar aquí ahora!’

The woman started at the violent shout from her boss. The humour that they had just shared quickly faded and she hurried back to the kitchen.

Sully let out a long sigh, leaning back in his chair. He reached into his top pocket, producing a cigar and pulled out his lighter from his trouser pocket. As he exhaled a thick cloud of tobacco smoke he realised the young woman who was no doubt getting an earful (or more) from her low-life boss. How he’d love to show that bastard a thing or two about manners.

* * *

Translations:

Aqui tienes - Here you go 

Entra aquí ahora - Get in here now

 


	3. Chapter 3

Sully woke the next day feeling refreshed. He strolled over to window inhaling the morning air and surveying the people below him who were already out trading and heading to work. How dull, he thought, to have the same job day after day. Life was far more exciting when treasure and adventure was involved.

From where he stood he spotted a stall with shirts hanging from one of its rails. He might have to pass by their later; three days travel with no running water and no clean clothes had caused him to smell foul. Thank God there was a sink in his room for him to scrub himself down. Sully scratched his chin. He would also need to find himself a razor; the stubble that speckled his jaw was becoming too long for his liking.

The woman from yesterday was still on his mind, even more so as he entered the streets. He would occasionally look around just to see if he might spot her in the crowd. She was pretty distinctive with her curly hair and, unfortunately, the bruises on her face. Sully figured, with nothing much else to do, he could take her out for a drink, charm her in his usual manner and maybe…Sully physically shook the thought from his mind. Even with his standards there was no way in hell that he would take advantage of a woman who had been physically abused. But she was attractive; he had to hand it to her.

Sully bought two shirts from the trader he had spotted from his hotel room and a razor and lather from a shop that was a few doors down. Thankfully the items didn't come to too much, he hated spending his money. He had just turned the corner as he exited the shop when a pair of figures caught his eye.

The two men ahead of him were both dressed in crisp white shirts and black suit trousers. They were scouring the crowd, their eyes darting from left to right as they checked each person that passed them.

'Goddamn it,' Sully grumbled under his breath, pressing himself flush against the wall of the shop to hide in the shadow of the awning. From their dress and pale complexion he knew they were flunkies of that darn European he'd double-crossed mere days ago. Hopefully they hadn't spotted him, but annoyingly they stood between him and the path back to the hotel.

Sully looked about for a way around them, noticing a flight of stone steps that would hopefully bring him back round to the building. Trying to attract as little attention as possible, he eased his way through the rabble of people, ducking his head down to avoid being noticed. He made it to the footpath without a hitch, but still remained wary in case there were more men searching for him.

How had they found him so quickly? Maybe one of the guards at the airport he'd paid off had ratted him out. He knew he shouldn't have trusted a man who took so little money to allow a stowaway to board a plane. He hurried up the steps, which brought him out on to a higher-level road. There were a few cars parked on the curb, and some people milling about, but for the most part the street was empty.

If he laid low in his hotel room they might give up and move on to the next town. He'd wanted a peaceful couple of days; was that too much to ask for?

Sully made it back to the hotel and the moment he was up the stairs to his room he locked the door. He headed to the window next; he couldn't spot the men from here, but shut the window anyway just to be sure. He'd venture back out there later on. However, for the mean time he set about cleaning up his facial hair.

As he ran the razor across his jaw Sully's thoughts returned to the woman. He recalled the way she had tried to laugh, the way her lithe body had moved when she ran and the freckles that were stippled all over her face. She was attractive, and attractive women always held his attention. He then realised he didn't even know her name. It would have to be something poetic. Sofia? Isabella? He'd have to find out. Sully decided then that he'd return to the bar that evening; it was a low-key joint where those European goons weren't likely to look.

x

The bar was busier than it had been the previous night. It was a Friday to be fair; people could drink and drink without having to worry about work the next day. Sully swept his gaze over the people in the bar, examining their faces and clothes. He didn't expect to find his pursuers here, but better to be safe than sorry. He took up a stool right by the bar, immediately lighting up a cigar and leaning forward on the counter. The same young man who had served him last night soon approached with the same friendly smile across his face.

'Buenas tardes de nuevo, señor,' he greeted. 'Same as yesterday?

Sully nodded. 'Please.' From where he was sat this time round he could just about see what was beyond the beaded curtains. A light shone through them from the end of a short corridor, where the clatter of pans could be heard and the inviting smells of hot food seeped into his senses.

A bottle of beer was set in front of him already opened. The young bartender lingered there, cleaning up the glasses that had been left by previous customers.

'What brings you to Bolivia, señor?' he asked, arranging the glasses on their respective shelves.

'You could call it a holiday.' Sully wished it could have been so. Some time off from work to do things he loved most; drink, smoke and bed beautiful women. Then his plans were ruined. He angled himself closer to the young man, beckoning him to lean in also and lower his voice. 'Say, is that young lady working here this evening?'

'Sí,' the man replied with a knowing smile, 'but I do not think Señor Delgado will let her come out here.'

Sully passed a judging glare in the direction of the kitchen, pursing his lips. 'This Señor Delgado seems to be in charge of a lotta things she can and can't do,' he said contemptuously. 'What time does she get off work?'

The young man shrugged. 'It depends.' At that moment a man at the back of the bar beckoned him over. 'Señor lo siento, I must get back to work.'

'Yeah, sure thing.' Sully said, with a casual dismissing wave. He reached for his beer, yet again looking along the corridor behind the curtains in case the woman appeared through them.

About ten minutes later, the strands of the curtain rattled. By the time Sully looked up the plate of food was in front of him and the woman was standing beside him. Sitting down he was eye level with her. Even after just a day she looked better; the scars had scabbed over and although the bruises were still there her smile proved they weren't as sore as yesterday.

'Hola,' she greeted, folding her arms across her chest. 'Two days in a row you have come here.'

Sully smirked. 'What can I say? The food's good.'

'Mm-hmm.' The woman eyed him up and down, apparently unconvinced but retained her smile. She appeared more confident now, perhaps because she was becoming familiar with him.

'How long you got before you can ditch this place?' he asked, indicating the bar with a point of his thumb. She shrugged in response, her smile faltering.

'A few hours, maybe more. Why?'

'I figured you might fancy some heavy liquor after what you've been through.' Sully tried to play it off as a casual offer, but judging from the shy beam on her face she knew otherwise. Either way he did not expect her to decline.

'No,' she responded bluntly. Sully was taken aback but hid his reaction well. 'I do not know you, señor.' She made a fair point, but Sully was too stubborn to let her reject him.

'Then it would be a perfect opportunity to get to know me.' The charm, which had never failed up until this point, was now proving ineffective; she just would not take the bait. Again she declined, except this time she left him to return to the kitchen. Sully could have kicked himself. He'd have to change tack with this girl if he was ever going to have a sit down conversation with her.

Raised voices erupted from the kitchen, from who could only be Señor Delgado and the young lady. No one besides Sully reacted to the commotion; maybe it was a regular occurrence that didn't require their attention.

'No pago para charlar!' the male voice started.

'Sólo estaba siendo amable!' she retorted.

The argument continued, not that Sully could understand the majority of it. He rocked back on his stool, supporting himself with one hand on the edge of the bar. With one eyebrow cocked in curiosity, he attempted to get a clearer view of kitchen. He could make out the shadows of the two people, but nothing more.

Señor Delgado's voice yelled, 'Yo no sé por qué sigo aquí! Que debería haber convertido en una puta como tu madre!' Sully winced, he recognised some of the words in that. He couldn't imagine the young lady taking it well.

The ruckus suddenly ceased. There wasn't even any movement in the kitchen to be heard. Something heavy hit the kitchen floor. Sully looked around; the young bartender's gaze was also directed to the kitchen, his eyes wide with concern. Sully concluded that he needed to investigate, jumping off his stool and passing through the curtains.

As he approached the entrance the sound of paced breathing could be heard. Sully was tempted to reach for his gun, but he decided best to keep it hidden unless the situation demanded it. He edged his way around the corner, expecting to see a repeat of yesterday's debacle from the alleyway. However, what he did find was the opposite of what he had expected.

'Holy shit.'

* * *

Translations:

No pago para charlar - I don't pay you to chat

Sólo estaba siendo amable - I was just being friendly

Yo no sé por qué sigo aquí! Que debería haber convertido en una puta como tu madre! - I don't know what I keep you here! You're a whore just like your mother!

* * *

I would like to point out these translations are rough! I was relying on google translate and I know it's not very accurate at times :/


	4. Chapter 4

'What the hell happened?' he exclaimed, carefully approaching the young woman.

He had entered the kitchen to find Señor Delgado scared into silence, clutching his shoulder and curled up on the floor. A steady pool of blood was seeping across the floor, filling in the all the cracks like a red sealant. Over him the young lady stood, a bloodied steak knife in her right hand and some splatters of blood across her face. Her eyes were dark, boring into the pathetic form of her boss lying on the ground. She looked ready to attack him again, but Sully had walked in at the perfect moment to intervene.

'Like I said, señor,' she responded without averting her eye from Delgado, 'I can handle myself.'

'You weren't kidding!'

The woman's gaze softened as she looked at Sully. It seemed only then that she realised what she had done and where. She wasn't the slightest bit worried, discerning if anything. 'Mierda…' she muttered, setting the knife down on the counter beside her.

'Perra!' Señor Delgado snarled, attempting and failing to get to his feet.

'Bastardo!' she snapped back. Experiencing a sudden urge of protectiveness over the women, Sully forced Delgado back, gently applying pressure to the man's wound with his foot. Delgado almost screamed outright but bit down on his own knuckle to stop himself.

'Now, I'm gonna be a decent guy and call you an ambulance' – he looked over his shoulder at the young lady who was scrubbing the blood from her hands in the kitchen sink – 'but if you let it slip that this wasn't an accident I'll put that knife somewhere that will finish you off permanently. Do we have an understanding?' Delgado nodded, fear glistening in his eyes. 'Good.'

Sully stepped back, allowing Delgado to scurry across the floor away from him. The woman was beside him again, with all the traces of blood washed away. 'Wait here,' he told her. 'And clean that knife handle.' Before she could protest Sully left the kitchen returning a minute later. 'Your bartender friend's calling him an ambulance.'

The woman nodded understandingly. 'I would rather let him bleed out, but…gracias.'

When two medics from the local hospital arrived, they quickly bandaged up Señor Delgado and then helped him out of the building. They informed the bartender that he would require stitches and would probably have to stay in the hospital for a few days. The woman swore at Delgado under her breath as he passed, which caused Sully to laugh quietly at her boldness.

With Delgado gone, the bar had cleared out. The woman pulled the bartender over to one side and after a short discussion he handed her the keys to the building.

'Buenas noches,' he called to both of them as he vanished up the stairs and out into the night.

'So…' Sully began, approaching the woman. She turned, an understanding smile on her face.

'Are you going to ask me if I want that drink now?'

Sully laughed deep in his throat, cocking his eyebrow and side-eyeing the numerous bottles of spirits neatly shelved behind the bar. The woman clearly agreed with his proposal.

'Name first, then drink,' she said.

Sully held out his hand to her. 'Victor Sullivan.' The woman shook his hand firmly, with a charming smile.

'Catalina Vidal.'

x

Sully had lit up a cigar when Catalina brought two glasses and a bottle of tequila over to the table. He eyed the bottle curiously as she sat down opposite him, picking it up and rotating it in his palm to read the label properly.

'Painkiller,' she said, pointing to her face. She relinquished him of the bottle and unscrewed the cap pouring a shot for both of them.

He took the glass she offered him. They downed the shots in sync. Sully, who was more accustomed to drinking beer, tensed his entire face as he swallowed the liquor. It burned its way down his throat and continued to burn even after he'd set his glass down. Catalina was staring at him with a bemused smile on her face.

'I had heard the rumour that Americans could not handle their drink.'

'And who says I'm like other Americans?' Sully questioned defensively. She giggled.

'The face you just made. Another?'

Sully pushed his glass across the table to her with an intent stare. 'Hit me.' She did so, filing both small glasses almost to the brim. 'So tell me,' Sully began, bringing the drink to his lips, 'where did you learn to handle a knife like that?' He downed the tequila for a second time and consciously forced himself to keep a straight face. He couldn't go letting Catalina think he couldn't hold his liquor.

'Mi madre' – Catalina drank her second shot in quick succession - 'She taught me when I was very young.' It was a strange skill for a mother and daughter bond over; Sully could only assume that it had been to make sure Catalina could protect herself from the likes of men such as Delagdo.

'And judging by how well you're handling all this I'm gonna assume it's not the first time you've "defended" yourself?'

'Sí. Once or twice before.'

Sully gave an accepting nod, taking another puff of his cigar.

'And what about you, Mr Sullivan? You are handling this very well also.'

'Please, call me Victor,' he started, '"Mr Sullivan" just makes me feel old.'

'Bueno.'

'And I've had my fair share of life and death situations.'

Catalina raised a questioning eyebrow, as she poured herself and Sully their third drink. 'Enjoy,' she smiled, nudging the glass towards him. Sully snatched it up and finished it off without a second thought.

'What's a lady like you, who clearly knows how to handle herself, doing putting up with a piece of work like Delgado?'

'He pays…paid me,' she replied, as if it should have been obvious.

'Yeah, not enough I'd say,' Sully scoffed.

'Sí, but asking him for more did not go down well last time.'

'I have a feeling he'll be more willing to comply to your terms since you almost took his arm off.'

Catalina smiled proudly to herself. 'Although you are partly to thank.' Sully dismissed a possible thank you by distracting her with an offer of tequila, which she accepted. She drank it like water; her face didn't show a hint of how strong the liquor actually was. Unexpectedly she turned to Sully with a look of curiosity. 'What do  _you_  do?'

Sully reclined in his chair, cigar in hand. 'I'm freelance. People pay me to do a job for them, then I move on to the next one.'

'What sort of work?'

Despite his interest in her, Sully didn't feel inclined to tell her any sort of truth. He quickly thought up a job that might save her questioning for the meantime. 'Journalism.' He only realised how stupid that must have sounded after he said it. Catalina's eyes narrowed sceptically and her brow furrowed. However, before she could ask him anything else, the pair was distracted by the sound of footsteps entering the bar.

Catalina spun in her chair to inform whomever it was that the bar was closed, but her words fell short when she found herself looking into the barrel of a gun.

'Mr. Sullivan,' one of the men before her began.

'Crap.' Sully rose from his chair. Although his attention was on the men, he could see Catalina getting up from her chair and backing away.

'You're in breach of your contract,' the man continued.

'What can I say,' Sully was expertly remaining calm, 'you shouldn't have paid me upfront.' Catalina was now stood beside him. The panic was setting in; he could see her hands trembling, but that didn't stop her from angrily glaring at him.

One of the men took a step forward, his handgun aimed right between Sully's eyes. 'You can either come with us willingly or by force.'

Sully lowered his hands. 'Looks like I haven't got a choice.'

Just when the men assumed that he was going to comply, one found himself promptly bleeding out on the bar floor seconds before he died from the bullet in his heart. Sully lowered his smoking gun and grabbed Catalina by the wrist, pulling her to him.

'Any other exits?'

'Kitchen window.'

As his other pursuer comprehended what had happen, Sully and Catalina vanished through the curtains and into the kitchen. Sully made quick work unlocking the window.

'After you.' He ushered Catalina to go ahead of him. Whether she was afraid or not, she was most definitely frustrated. 'I will explain. But can we please hurry it up.' Sully gave her a leg up out of the window and followed suit, narrowly missing a bullet to the leg. He took hold of Catalina by her shoulders. His stare was hard and serious. 'You gotta keep up.'

She pulled away from him with a nod, hoisting up her long skirt from the hem and tying it up by her hip. 'No hay problema.' It was then that Sully spotted the knife tucked under the belt of her skirt.

'Alrightie then.'

* * *

Translations:

Mierda - Shit

Perra - Bitch

No hay problema - No problem


	5. Chapter 5

In about the space of two minutes Sully and Catalina had made their way on to the roofs of the town houses, having found themselves caught in a dead end when they took a wrong turn, forcing them to climb up. Catalina showed a natural sense of agility; she kept up with Sully stride for stride despite the uneven surface. They simultaneously jumped down on to a balcony, narrowly missing a bullet that flew above their heads. The pace of their escape slowed down, as Sully looked for a way off the balcony.

'Dios mío!' Catalina exclaimed, catching her breath.

Sully beckoned her over. 'This way.' He leapt over the wooden railings of the balcony and dropped further still on to the piping just below it. Catalina followed suit.

She followed Sully along the pipe, coming round to the other side of the building. Sully's attention had turned to the house about two metres behind them. She looked down at the road beneath them and clung tighter to the railing. Sully flung himself across the gap, catching the guttering of the house and hauling himself up on to the roof. Catalina was less keen to do the same.

'Come on,' Sully called. He could see the gunman on the other building. 'Jump!'

Against her better judgement, Catalina, her eyes clenched shut, propelled herself away from the piping. A strong hand caught hers and helped her up. She opened her eyes to see Sully standing before her, his hand now reassuringly placed on her shoulder. 'See, nothing to worry about.'

'Yeah, right,' she muttered.

'Shall we?'

They continued on. Bullets were shooting past them much more frequently and missing them at a much closer proximity. The man was catching up. Sully realised they'd have to outsmart him. Up ahead of them was another gap between the buildings. If they jumped it and veered off to the right they might – even if only temporarily – lose the man.

'Up ahead. Think you can make that jump?'

Catalina nodded, although she wasn't entirely sure. She watched Sully first, as he made it over with ease. Catalina followed suit; this time making it across without a hitch.

They ran straight for about a metre, then, without explanation, Sully grabbed Catalina's arm and yanked her to the right. She yelped at the unexpected change of directions. There was a grunt of pain as the gunman slipped up behind them having missed the turn.

The movement of her legs was causing Catalina's skirt to unfurl from where she had tied it but she couldn't slow up enough to fix the problem. She grabbed the fabric in her fist, hoping that would do the trick for the mean time. However, when Sully pulled her sharply round another corner she let go of her skirt. Her foot caught the hem and dragged her down.

Her harsh scream caught Sully's attention, just in time for him to see her skid down the side of the roof. Catalina tried to stop herself but there was nothing to grab hold of. She could only hope there might be something for her to seize as she fell off the edge.

Somehow Catalina found herself gripping tightly to the guttering that ran along the edge of the roof. The rusty metal creaked under her weight. She tried multiple times to haul herself up, but every time she attempted to move the gutter pulled against its fastenings, gradually detaching itself from the wall.

'Help!' she cried, praying that it wouldn't be the gunman who found her first. Her fingers were tiring and the pipe was not going to hold her for much longer.

'Catalina!' Sully appeared above her, steadying himself on the slanted surface of the roof. He bent down, stretching his arm down to her.

She instinctively reached up but the gutter unfastened from one of its bolt with a deep groan. Catalina clutched at it to prevent herself from slipping, this time refusing to let go. She glanced down, regretting the decision when she realised how far she was from the ground.

'Gimme your hand!' Sully urged. He could see she was scared, but if she hesitated any longer it was more than likely she'd end up all over the tarmac below. 'I won't letcha fall,' he assured her. Apprehensively, Catalina stretched her arm out again. Sully gripped it tight, clasping her wrist. He began to pull her up, treading carefully as not to dislodge any more tiles and have both of them fall over the edge.

Sully was only half way through saving her when she shouted, 'Behind you!' Sully moved just in time to miss their pursuer attempting to shoot him from the flattest part of the roof. Sully reached for his gun, contorting himself to try and get a decent shot while keeping his grip of Catalina's arm. He fired blindly, missing the man by an inch.

'Goddamn it,' he grumbled. This time the gunman came at him with the butt of his gun. The blow caught Sully in the back and he let go of Catalina completely. Fortunately for her, Sully had pulled her high enough up for her to hold on to the roof. Once he had recovered, Sully turned his full attention to the pursuer. He caught the man's jaw with his fist and his opponent fell to the ground giving Sully the opportunity to deal another blow. The gunman retaliated, bringing his foot up to kick Sully in his stomach and knock him back.

Sully quickly grabbed the man's arm as he attempted to punch him and bent the limb behind the man's back. He kicked him in the back of his knee. As his leg gave out, the man dropped his gun. He collapsed yet again and this time the momentum of the blow forced him down the roof. He couldn't catch himself. He fell past Catalina, his screams cut short as he hit the ground with a resounding crack. Catalina winced; that could have been her.

With a little help from Sully she was able to clamber up. 'Gracias,' Catalina managed through paced breathing.

'Anytime,' Sully replied, his breathing just as heavy as hers. 'Next time I'll remember to pay my tab.' His attempt at lightening the situation fell short on Catalina. Not only did she ignore him, but her frown showed her feelings toward him at that moment. 'You okay?' Her look was something akin to a glare and she still refused to talk to him. 'Right…' Sully backed away, distracting himself with finding a way down.

It was in the period that he surveyed the buildings that he had no idea where they had ended up or how to get back to the hotel and his belongings. 'Well, shit,' he muttered to himself.

Apparently sensing his problem, Catalina had set aside her frustrations and approached him. She stood beside him and pointed directly ahead of them. 'That way, señor.' Sully's face proved that he didn't quite understand. 'My flat. The men that are after you will not look there.' He had to admire how clever she was; she was already thinking two steps ahead and the aforementioned men weren't even her problem. A gracious smile came to Sully's face.

'So…tu casa es mi casa?'

Catalina rolled her eyes. She hadn't quite yet forgiven him in tangling her up in his mess. She waved for him to lead them down to safer ground. 'Can we go?'

x

The apartment that Catalina led Sully to was hidden behind a set of large wooden doors, that were chipping and peeling with age. Past those doors was a small cobbled courtyard that connected three different buildings. A couple of plastic garden chairs were set out in the courtyard, with a cardboard box between them as a makeshift table. Two middle-aged men were sat there, cigarettes hanging between their fingers and conversing loudly. Their conversation turned to hushed tones as Catalina and Sully passed. They eyed him curiously and muttered amongst themselves.

'Buena noches, Catalina…' one said, although his gaze was directed to Sully. 'Quién es este?'

'Un turista,' she replied without stopping. The man gave a deep chuckle, followed by a deep inhale from his cigarette.

Sully followed Catalina into the building to the right of the courtyard and up three flights of stairs. The floor they stopped on had two flats. Catalina unlocked the door closest to the stairs, holding the door open for him.

'Thanks.' He walked into the small apartment that was only lit by the moonlight. Catalina flicked the switch of the light. The living room and the kitchen were in one combined space with one door leading to the bathroom and another to Catalina's bedroom. It was sparsely decorated. Only some framed photos and some wilting flowers showed any sign of a personal touch.

Catalina vanished into the bedroom. While she was preoccupied, Sully perused the photos in the room. His attention was drawn to a slightly faded photo of a woman and a little girl. Sully picked up the image to inspect it closer. He quickly set down the photo when Catalina re-entered the room.

'Aquí,' she said, passing it to him. He could see the tiredness in her eyes, but there was still a hint of anger. 'You can sleep on the sofa, señor.' He could tell her passive aggressiveness was her trying to annoy him. Sully was determined to ignore her.

'Gracias,' he said amiably, although she did not reciprocate. She turned away from him, stretching her arms above her head as she walked. Letting out a long sigh, he watched her saunter across to her bedroom. Sully couldn't help his eyes wandering over the length of her body and how it moved in a perfect fluid motion. His gaze followed her until she had shut the door of her bedroom. 'Goddamn…'

* * *

Translations:

Dios mío - Oh my God

Quién es este? - Who is this?

Un turista - A trourist

Aquí - Here

 


	6. Chapter 6

The thin curtains of the kitchen window could not contain the harsh beams of the morning sun pouring into the room and directly into Sully's eyes. 'Goddamn it,' he murmured. For a while he tried to get back to sleep, but his body just wouldn't let him. Sully would've killed for a cigar, but then he remembered that the remainder of them were still in his hotel room. With a deep groan, he rolled on to his back, stretching one arm above his head and resting the other on his stomach. It was in that moment, while he stared at the blank ceiling above him, that he remembered how angry Catalina was with him. He also recalled how the last man who had gotten on her bad side was now in hospital.

Sully angled his head in order to look towards Catalina's bedroom. The door was still closed. He could just imagine her sprawled across her bed still in the midst of her post-adrenaline rush exhaustion. Maybe a good nights rest would make her more pleasant company this morning. He might be able to convince her to help him further; he'd need her as a guide if he'd have any chance getting back to the hotel.

As if she had heard his thoughts, Catalina opened her bedroom door. She paid no attention to him as she half stumbled towards the kitchen in a sleepy haze. He watched her coyly, wondering whether he should say anything or pretend he was still asleep. She moved about the kitchen, grabbing a mug and a tub of instant coffee first, then rummaging for a teaspoon. It was a curious thing to see her acting domestic, especially after seeing how she handled herself yesterday.

Catalina perched on the kitchen counter, cradling a steaming mug of coffee in her hands. Sully watched as she blew across the top of the drink to cool it down and slowly brought it to her lips to take a sip. As she drank she looked up, staring him in the eye.

'Buenos días,' she said. So she had known he was awake. She had the smallest smirk. Sully pushed himself up with a sheepish smile.

'Mornin'.'

'Coffee?'

'Thanks.'

With her back to him again, Sully grabbed his vest from the floor and pulled it on, followed by his trousers. He walked across the room to Catalina just as she handed him his drink. Her eyes briefly passed over him with an unfathomable gaze, but she quickly returned her attention to her drink.

Silence stood between them. Sully's words stumbled as he tried to find a way of asking for her help without lighting a fire under the negative feelings she had acquired for him since yesterday. 'Don't suppose…' he began, words falling short when her dark eyes locked with his. 'Need some help getting back to that hotel round the corner from your bar.'

Catalina nodded knowingly. 'Sí…?'

'Could ya' gimme a hand gettin' about town? Just that yesterday's run and gun left me a bit outta sorts.'

The woman before him considered her answer, taking a gulp from her cooling coffee as she thought. 'Bueno,' she decided, much to Sully's joy and relief. 'As long as there is no risk of ending up on a roof this time.'

Sully chuckled. Catalina did not mirror him. She made no further comment on the matter now she had made up her mind; she wasn't being entirely civil with him but she was gradually letting it go. In fairness, she had almost ended up as collateral damage in his game of hide and seek from the Europeans. He should really apologise for all that at some point.

x

By the time they made it out into the town the streets had filled up. Sully stayed close to Catalina as she weaved her way through the clusters of people. She had donned a wicker panama hat and tied her hair into a thick plait. In the light of day her bruises were more obvious, but definitely not as raw as they had been yesterday. Her face was starting to show through more. It was surprisingly refreshing to be in the company of a woman who wasn't instantly going for his belt buckle.

'The hotel is not far up ahead,' Catalina said, pointing in the general direction ahead of them. 'It is not hard to find your way around here.'

'Speak for yourself,' Sully muttered, glancing at a few women who made eye contact with him. They spoke under their breath between themselves and passed judgemental glances between him and Catalina. 'What's their problem?' he asked, once they were out of earshot.

Catalina turned to see who he was talking about, but gave a nonchalant shrug. 'They are probably wondering what a foreigner is doing here.'

'Fair enough.'

Just as Catalina had said, the hotel was only a ten-minute stretch, although their walk had involved some shortcuts between houses to avoid the traffic and the main roads. The man behind the reception desk greeted Sully, but scrutinized Catalina with questioning eyes. She kept her head down and pulled her hat down even further to hide her face. No doubt the man would think her bruises suspicious. She followed Sully upstairs moving briskly on her light feet.

'This won't take long,' Sully assured her, as he unlocked the door. Catalina gave no indication that she was bothered about the fact. Sully felt his patience being tested again at her immaturity. It felt like his attempts at being cordial were wasted, but at the same time he was desperate to win her over. The fact she had been willing to help him this morning was positive.

The room was in the same state he had left it.  _So much for house keeping_. The faint hint of cigar smoke hung in the air. Sully instantly found and lit a cigar, then set about packing up the few belongings he had. However, as he walked between the bedroom and the bathroom he considered taking this moment as an opportunity to attempt to get Catalina talking again. Sully couldn't work out why he was so keen to get to know her; he just knew he wanted to. Catalina was meandering around the room, absently surveying the stark décor of the place.

'So, that err…picture in your flat,' Sully began, instantly distracting Catalina. Her look suggested she knew what he was going to ask already. There was a hint of warning in her eyes, suggesting that he was about to tread into dangerous waters. 'The one of that woman and the kid, is that you and your mom?'

Catalina hesitated, her lips parting to speak but the words falling short on her tongue. When her voice finally came it was small, cautious. 'Sí, señor. Why do you ask?' She turned to him completely, folding her arms across her body defensively. Sully was momentarily distracted as her arms pushed her chest up.

'You look a lot like her,' Sully observed. Catalina pursed her lips together and her brow furrowed. She knew that wasn't it. He had more he wanted to ask and say. But it wasn't exactly any of his business; she had barely known him more than two days and he was already daring to ask personal questions. Although, he had saved her multiple times in that period and been kind to her for the most part…

'I'm…'

Her words were cut short as a flurry of movement came from the wardrobe. The doors were flung open and a suited man burst forth, grabbing Sully before he had a chance to react. Sully's cigar rolled across the floor, as the man dragged him to the ground, dealing a brutal punch to Sully's face. Momentarily stunned Sully collapsed with a pained groan. The man inflicted another blow to the opposite cheek.

Held by shock up until that moment the sight of Sully's bruised features were enough to bring Catalina to her senses. She grabbed the nearest object to her that might inflict some damage. The dense glass of the vase shattered on impact with the man's head and he slumped forward in a daze. Sully pushed the man's listless form off of him and clambered to his feet. Catalina braced him as he staggered, offering her shoulder for him to support himself on.

'Thanks,' he grunted. She nodded, still processing what she had just done.

The attacker rolled on to his side, gradually rising to his feet. He rubbed the back off his head, bringing his blood stained hand round to his face. 'You bitch!' he growled at Catalina.

Sully charged at the man, ramming his arm under the man's chin and practically choking him, as he was slammed against the wall. With his free hand Sully made light work of breaking the man's nose and busting his lip and brow. The attacker scrambled to retaliate, bringing his knee up into Sully's ribs, knocking him back far enough to deal a hit into Sully's stomach.

Sully creased over, allowing the man to collect himself. His attention turned to Catalina, blood streaming down his face.

'Mierda…' she breathed, backing away as he approached. She wished she had her knife on her right now.

The man was inches from her, when Sully's arm wrapped round his neck from behind and dragged him back. 'How 'bought you fight someone your own size,' he snarled, hand pulling the attacker's jaw up, as if he was about to rip his head from his shoulders. The man cried out, hands frantically clawing at Sully's arm. With the man incapacitated Catalina took the opportunity to kick him between his legs; something she had had to do on many occasions. It was enough to bring the man to his knees. Sully then brought his fist directly down on the man's nose, pummelling him to the ground and rendering him unconscious.

Sully pushed a few stray strands of hair back from his face, finally realising the condition of the room. 'Holy shit…' The sooner they were out of here the better. He turned his gaze to Catalina who was shaking slightly. 'Hey, err…' he mumbled.

'You have gotten me into nothing but trouble since I met you, señor!' she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger. 'I have almost ended up dead because of you! Por eso mi madre odiaba estadounidenses! I do not know why I ever tried to help you, I knew it would end in trouble!'

'Now just wait one Goddamn minute!' Sully retaliated, taking a step towards her. 'I didn't know  _this_  was going to happen!' He gestured at the unconscious man and the wrecked room.

'But you  _did_  know that you were being followed when you first met me!'

'No!' Sully corrected. 'I thought I was high and dry! Clearly that wasn't the case!'

Catalina refused to back down. 'There was a still a possibility! I almost died – multiple times!' Her finger jabbed him in the chest, her eyes ablaze with anger.

'Will you just shut up for a second?!' Sully grabbed the accusing hand, holding Catalina forcefully by the wrist. His voice lowered suddenly. 'I'm sorry, okay?' Catalina was caught off guard. All the ferocity drained from her face and something akin to surprise replaced it. 'I didn't mean to get you caught up in this. I certainly didn't mean for you to almost end up dead. But I've been nothing but helpful to you and all I get in return is you chewing my Goddamn ear off.' He relinquished his grip on her and her arm sunk down to her side.

Catalina hung her head shamefully, heat rising to her cheeks. She felt so embarrassed now; he was right, she had been pretty awful since yesterday. She wrapped her arms about herself and dared to look up again. Sully's expression had also calmed, as he waited for her response. She inhaled deeply. 'I am sorry…' she said quietly, albeit sincerely. 'And thank you…again.'

A pardoning smirk teased at Sully's lips. 'Don't mention it.' She passed Sully a smile, allowing him to momentarily admire the glow in her cheeks that accompanied it. 'We better get outta here before someone finds this.'

Catalina nodded in understanding, allowing him to escort her out, before he locked the door behind them.

* * *

Translations:

Por eso mi madre odiaba estadounidenses! - This is why my mother hated Americans!

 


	7. Chapter 7

When they returned to her apartment, Catalina had pointed Sully in the direction of her bathroom – a slow stream of blood was trickling from a gash near his eye and from the bridge of his nose, along with other smaller cuts and bruises that he would need to clean up. About ten minutes later he appeared through the doorway with his face cleaned up and an unlit cigar between his fingers.

'Mind if I light this?' he asked the young woman. Catalina glanced at the cigar.

'Go ahead,' she replied. She turned to open the fridge. He took a seat on the sofa, with a contented sigh and lit the cigar. Finally, he could take a breather. Of course, he enjoyed the occasional hit of adrenalin from all the adventure, but a comfortable seat and a cigar were just as good. He inhaled deeply, revelling in the smell of tobacco before exhaling.

Something cold and heavy landed in his lap. Sully looked down to see a beer bottle, glistening with condensation, along with a bottle opener. Catalina sauntered behind him and took up a seat in the armchair just across from the sofa with her own bottle. She passed him a charming smile.

'It's like you read my mind,' Sully smirked, opening the bottle.

'De nada.' Catalina crossed her legs, rearranging her skirt to cover them completely and took a sip from her beer. Sully could see the tiredness in her eyes, as they drifted to look at the bottle in her hand. She chewed absently on the edge of her lip in thought

Sully took a gulp from his drink, considering whether he should break the silence. His eyes kept wandering from his cigar, to his drink, to Catalina and back again.

Just when the lull was beginning to turn uncomfortable, Catalina's eyes focused on him, her lips parted to speak. 'I was five.'

Sully raised a questioning brow. 'What?'

'In that photo you asked about earlier.'

Admittedly, he had forgotten all about it. He decided then that he would tread carefully and let her drive wherever this was going.

Catalina took a sip of her beer, pursing her lips in thought. 'And she died a year later.' Sully couldn't detect any grief in her voice. Admittedly, he couldn't entirely relate and instead offered a weak attempt at passing on his condolences.

'Sorry to hear that,' he said quietly, cigar gripped between his teeth.

Catalina smiled; it was small, but Sully couldn't help but reciprocate it. 'Gracias, but it does not upset me anymore,' she noted. 'She was sick for a long time. Everyone kept saying it was "only a matter of time". Her work made her sick, some sort of disease.' Sully hesitated. Catalina was trusting him with personal information.

'Must have been tough.'

'It was not too bad,' Catalina assured him. She blushed suddenly. 'I am so sorry! I have made everything so sad!' Sully huffed, partially in humour at her realisation, but also at how tame this was in comparison to some conversations on death he had had.

'Trust me,' he began, removing his cigar from between his lips, 'I've sat through worse.'

'That is not surprising,' she responded, her eyebrow cocked and the corner of her mouth turned upwards in a smirk.

'Yeah, well…' A lopsided smile came to Sully's face.

'Come on then,' Catalina prompted him, with a swish of her hand. Her expression was both expectant and faintly teasing. It was women with faces like hers that had got him into some very tricky situations. 'Tell me a story of yours. Clearly you have had more days such as today.'

Sully hesitated. Of course he had plenty of tales; he could brag about many of them. But he had only just got Catalina back on side. And he liked her. The last thing he wanted to do was put her off him. He could start with something where he might not look like the bad guy.  _You're a criminal. You're always gonna look like the bad guy!_

'So I wasn't lying when I said people pay me to get the things they can't.' Realising he had started Catalina leaned in closer, her face keen with interest. Sully went on to tell her one of his first jobs. There had been an altercation with the household's chef, which had ended with Sully's hand firmly planted on a very hot flat top and with the chef ending up with a pot of boiling soup in his face. Catalina couldn't contain her laughter.

'It wasn't funny at the time I tell ya',' Sully grumbled, despite Catalina continuing to laugh.

'Lo siento, but it sounds like one of your American comedy films,' she managed as her giggling subsided. 'What is the word…?'

'Slapstick?'

'Yes!' Her eyes were glistening from where tears had threatened to trickle. Sully tried to maintain his composure but a short chuckle escaped him as he thought back. It was quite funny in hindsight.

Having controlled herself, Catalina rose from her seat and retrieved two more bottles of beer from the fridge. 'Otro?' she asked, extending one to him.

'Gracias.'

Instead of resuming her original seat across from him, Catalina instead perched on the arm of the sofa Sully was occupying. As he lit another cigar he coyly watched her neck arch when she took a sip or her own drink.

'I think you should tell me another story.'

Sully raised his eyebrows. 'If you keep providing the drinks.'

'Deal.'

x

About five bottles and two cigars later, Catalina finally concluded that it was time she got some sleep. She was still on the arm of the sofa, however, her legs had gradually stretched further across the cushions, to the point where her toes were now brushing Sully's left thigh.

'It is late,' she said. 'I will have to say good night.' She smiled drowsily, as she made to rise from her seat. Sully instantly felt the cold on his leg where her feet had been.

'Yeah, have to agree with you there.'

Catalina didn't head to her room straight away. Causing great surprise on Sully's part, she leant down over him. Her right hand pressed gently against his torso, causing his skin to tremble. She kissed him softly on the cheek, withdrawing before he could say anything. She was in her bedroom with the door shut before Sully could blink twice.

Sully picked up the half burnt cigar from the plate he was using as an ashtray and clenched it between his teeth. The rush of tobacco brought his thoughts back. She certainly knew how to surprise him.

* * *

Translations:

Otro - another?


	8. Chapter 8

'Buenas días.' The stimulating whiff of black coffee drew Sully out of his sleep. Through a sleepy haze, he could just make out the form of Catalina standing over him. He managed to sit up slightly, leaning back against the arm of the sofa. 'There is fresh coffee and I am making breakfast.'

Not entirely awake, Sully responded with a weak nod. Catalina had vanished before he could say anything. He sat up completely, using the back of the chair to help him.

Catalina was in the kitchen, searching through one of two brown paper bags on the counter. There was a pan on the hob and a pot of coffee steaming.  _Someone's been busy_. Sully pulled on his vest and trousers, before getting up completely.

'Take a seat,' she said, gesturing to the table and chairs behind her with a nod of her head.

'I see you went shopping,' Sully commented. He rummaged through his belongings first searching for his other pack of cigars. He came across his gun first and quickly tucked it away. Catalina would probably lose it again if she found out he had a gun in her house. When he finally found the box of he cigars, he brought one over to the kitchen table along with his the plate he'd been using as a makeshift ashtray and sat down.

'Sí, very early.'

'You shouldn't go out,' his tone was serious enough to distract Catalina from what she was doing. 'Not by yourself anyway.'

'I can handle myself.'

Sully shook his head. 'Those goons ain't gonna wait for you to get close enough to cut them a new one. They'll shoot ya' as soon as look at ya'.' And he was not about to let that happen. Catalina nodded, but couldn't help the smile that returned to her face.

'Does that make you my bodyguard then?'

Sully let out a deep chuckle, resting his cigar on the edge of the plate. 'Something like that.' Catalina brought a plate over to the pan and tipped the contents out on to it. She set the omelette down in front of Sully with a knife and fork. 'Thanks.' She also poured him some coffee.

'De nada.' She continued to pack away the items she had bought, as Sully began to eat. He watched her in between mouthfuls as she moved quickly about the kitchen, meticulously storing everything. He wondered if she was going to bring up last night. No, he was just over thinking it. Eventually she sat down opposite him, bringing the pot of coffee and her cup with her. 'You never told me what you did to end up here.'

Sully ate the portion on his fork before responding. 'Just another rich idiot who wanted some jewel but didn't have the skills to do it himself.'

'Anything special?'

'Only the amount of money he stupidly paid me before hand.'

Catalina smirked. 'Is there anytime when you are not being a criminal?' Sully could only laugh. He liked her sense of wit. She covered her smile when she drank from her mug. In the lull in their conversation Sully glanced over her face; how much brighter it appeared now her bruises had healed. Her eyes were shadowed with tiredness, but that didn't detract from her prettiness. 'What am I meant to do if I cannot go out alone?' Her question distracted him. Sully blinked and refocused his attention on her properly. 'I cannot work. I cannot wander about. Will that man even leave if he knows you are still here?'

'Give it a day or two,' Sully assured her. 'He'll think that I've moved on and give up.' Catalina raised a dubious eyebrow. 'Contrary to the evidence, these guys are lazy. They don't wanna hang around for days with no results. Trust me.' The young woman's face still showed she was unconvinced, but she didn't bother pushing the point any further. Sully could see it now. She would become restless if she stayed cooped up for days on end. He could make her life a hell of a lot easier if he just left, but then he'd have no way of knowing that she was safe.

'Can I go out with you though?'

Sully shrugged. 'Don't see why not.'

'Bueno.' Catalina rose from her seat, pouring the remainder of the coffee into Sully's cup. 'Also, Gracias…' her voice had softened, 'for looking out for me.'

'Anytime,' Sully said, trying to keep the tone casual. However, he could see the sincerity in her eyes and he couldn't help but reciprocate in his own expression.

x

Having inspected the belongings he had retrieved from the hotel, Sully concluded he'd have to find a gunsmith. He rose from his spot on the sofa and walked towards Catalina's bedroom. But she wasn't there.

'Catalina?' He ventured further into the room.

'Sí?' Her voice questioned from beyond the bedroom curtains. Her hand pulled back one of the curtains from the opposite side, revealing the balcony she was sitting on. Despite there being two chairs angled towards each other she was sat on the floor with her legs dangling through the wooden railings. As he approached she set down her book and pulled her legs up so she could turn to face from where she sat.

Sully stopped at the French doors that led out to the balcony and leant in the doorframe. From here he could see the tiled roofs of the town, brightly lit by the harsh sunlight.

'Nice view ya' got up here,' he commented, surveying the red tiled roofs, the countryside in the distance and the sun illuminating it all. He could make a quip about how she was better looking than the architecture, but he kept his mouth shut. Catalina nodded in agreement.

'Did you need something?' she eventually asked with a pleasant tone.

'Don't suppose you know of any gunsmiths round town?'

Her brow knitted in confusion. 'Qué?'

'Somewhere I can get bullets,' Sully clarified.

'Ahh, sí! On the way to the next town.' She pointed in the general direction. 'Do you need a guide?'

'I'd be much obliged.'

Catalina nodded acceptingly, closing the book she had been reading before she rose. Sully held his hand out for her, to Catalina's surprise.

'Gracias,' she smiled, taking the offered hand. In one smooth motion Sully's strong arm pulled her up. The speed at which she rose, forced her to bump against his chest. He held her there for a moment; her body pressed to his and there faces mere inches apart. Catalina quickly backed up and let go of his hand. She distracted herself by dusting herself down. 'Dos minutos and I will be ready.'

x

The walk seemed to fly by with Catalina as his guide. With her knowledge of shortcuts not only did they manage to avoid the main roads, but also made it to the edges of town in record time. They travelled mostly in silence, except on the occasions where Catalina might point out a certain building or vocalise the direction they were heading in.

'Here it is.'

She had stopped by some stone arches that shaded a small shop. Its sign was peeling but Sully could make out the word ' _Pistolas'_  painted in black. Catalina entered first, greeting the man behind the counter. Sully followed close behind, eyeing the weapons contained in glass cabinets. The owner averted his attention from the television he had fixed to the wall and leant against the counter.

'Buenas tardes,' he said, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Sully.

'Hola,' Catalina responded.

'Qué puedo hacer por ti?' he asked her. Relaying the information, she turned to Sully.

'What is it that you want?'

Sully produced his Wes-44. He placed it on the counter. '.44 magnums.' The gunsmith clearly understood as he unlocked a drawer behind him.

'Cuántos?'

'Cuatro cajas.'

Catalina covered her smirk of admiration. Her native tongue was rather appealing when spoken with his deep voice.

The man behind the counter placed a stack of boxes on the counter next to Sully's gun. Sully picked up the first and opened it. Satisfied with the contents he pulled out his wallet. He hesitated though and looked at Catalina instead.

'Could you ask what hand guns he has?' Sully finally asked her. She nodded and relayed the question.

The gunsmith pointed to the cabinet to the left of them. Both Catalina and Sully looked in sync, with the latter approaching to scrutinize them.

'I'll take that one.'

Catalina couldn't see exactly which one Sully had pointed at. In all honesty they all looked the same to her. The gunsmith unlocked the cabinet, collected the gun and set it down with the ammo.

'Y dos cartuchos de municíon,' Sully added. Placing a reasonable number of notes on the counter, Sully took back his own gun as well as the new one. He hid both under his shirt and stashed the ammo away in his pockets.

'Gracias,' the gunsmith said.

Catalina and Sully headed for the exit. 'Gracias. Adios, amigo,' Sully responded.

Once they were well away from the shop Catalina finally asked the question that had been on the tip of her tongue since Sully bought the other gun. 'Do you plan on shooting a lot of men today?' Sully paused to light a cigar. He had a devious smirk on his face.

'It's not for me.'

Catalina's eyes widened. 'I know nothing about guns,' she exclaimed, although remembering to keep her voice quiet, as not to attract attention.

'Which is exactly why I'm gonna teach ya'.'

* * *

Translations:

Buenas tardes - Good afternoon

Qué puedo hacer por ti? - What can I do for you?

Cuántos? - How many?

Cuatro cajas - Four boxes

Y dos cartuchos de municíon - And two rounds of ammunition


	9. Chapter 9

The gun felt unnatural in her hand. Yes, she was skilled enough with a knife to do some damage, but holding a weapon like a gun was really throwing everything into perspective.

One perfectly aimed shot and that would be the end of her target, but as Sully had explained on the way to their current location: 'Only use it in defence. Never fire first.' Catalina didn't even know if she'd want to fire it then.

They had travelled further from the town centre, to an abandoned field. It was the late afternoon and the stifling midday heat and mellowed into a pleasant warmth with a slight breeze. They had found themselves a spot in the shade of a tree. Sully had laid out a few targets – some empty bottles and cans they'd found outside a bar on their way to the field. He arranged them at different distances and positioned Catalina to try out her new gun.

'It won't bite,' he had said when he handed it over.

'That is not what I am worried about,' she assured him, clumsily holding it. Sully helped her to hold it correctly and pointed out the main features so she could fire off a few rounds.

'Show me what ya' got.' Sully took a step back. He could see her hand shaking slightly, but he had faith in her. And he'd made sure to give her an easy gun to start off with; a Beretta which, unlike his Wes-44, wouldn't knock her off her feet.

Catalina released the safety and aimed as best she could. As she pulled the trigger she almost shut her eyes in anticipation for the  _bang_  that was sure to follow. The first bullet erupted from the muzzle. The unnatural movement of the gun surprised her and she almost dropped it. She scowled, determined to get it right. When Sully attempted to approach she motioned for him to stay back. The man let out a breathless laugh and resumed his original position.

Catalina aimed again, tightening her grip on the gun and aiming for the closest target. She fired repeatedly until she heard the metal clink of the target being hit. Catalina lowered the gun, spotting the tin can now on the ground.

'Not bad,' Sully mused, appearing beside her. 'But you can't be wasting that many bullets before you hit ya' damn target.' He noted the slight dejected slump of her shoulders. He may have come across a bit harsh, but there was no joke in the possibility of her being shot. He reassuringly nudged her arm with his own. 'It comes with practice. For a beginner, you're pretty good.'

'Gracias,' Catalina muttered. 'So…' she pushed the hair back that had fallen across her face. She pointed at the targets with her gun. 'Show me how to do it better.'

Sully felt a small surge of admiration. Her determination was endearing. 'You gotta work on keeping the gun steady…'

x

An hour or so later, Catalina was already finding her feet. She hadn't hit all her targets, but she was now at least able to hold the gun without the recoil throwing her hand back with it. It even seemed she might be enjoying it.

'Let's call it a day,' Sully declared, noticing that it beginning to get dark.

'But I have yet to see what you can do.'

Sully could never resist the charms of a beautiful woman, especially when said woman was smiling at him so teasingly. Sully rolled his eyes, pushing himself away from the trunk and taking up the spot where Catalina had been. He was an old hand at this; he could afford to show off a little. With ease he pulled his Smith and Wesson from his belt, released the safety and fired consecutively at the targets. Not a single bullet missed.

'Mierda…' Catalina breathed. Sully had the hint of a cocky smirk on his face. 'Show off.' He made no attempt to deny it.

'C'mon,' he approached Catalina. 'Let's grab something to eat. Dinner's on me.' Catalina nodded and attempted to hand over her gun to Sully. He held his hands up. 'Like I said before, it's not for me.' A curious smile came to Catalina's face.

'Erm…gracias,' she said, rubbing the back of her head. It was an unconventional gift, but seemed fitting coming from him. Catalina did as Sully had done, slipping the gun under the waistband of her skirt and pulling her blouse to cover it. Knowing she had a weapon gave her a sense of power, not that she'd go against Sully's instruction and draw first. She felt the need to pay him back in someway.

'De nada.' Sully lit a fresh cigar. He knew he wasn't great with acknowledging his feelings on any level, but he felt a warmth on the inside when he saw the shy smile and the hint of a blush in Catalina's cheeks as she put her gun away. He caught himself staring and promptly looked away before she saw him.

'There is a good place in town,' Catalina explained, beginning to walk back towards the road. 'Although the food is not as good as mine.' Sully chuckled, walking closely alongside her. It was true; he may have been pro with a gun, but Catalina's skills in the kitchen where unrivalled.

'I'm sure you could show the cook a thing or two.'

'Sí, I bet I could too.'

x

Despite her protests, Sully paid for everything. He wouldn't take no for an answer. So before they returned to her apartment, Catalina bought a six-pack of beer before he could get a word in edgeways.

They took up residence on her balcony, with the music from a local bar faintly playing in the distance. The sun had set by now; the deep haze of the evening giving way to the dark, clear night sky. Staring at the stars always took Sully back to his navy days and he couldn't help mentally pinpointing constellations.

Catalina glanced at Sully. 'You know the stars?' She distracted him from his stargazing.

'Yeah,' he nodded. 'If you know how to read 'em right, they're the best map you got at night.' Catalina cocked her head curiously.

'Maybe you will have to teach me.' Her forwardness caught Sully out. He had noticed a swell in her confidence. Perhaps not being constantly beaten down by her low-life boss had freed her. 'Where did you learn to do that?'

Sully took a long draw from his cigar. 'The navy.'

'Ah that is why you have the…' Catalina gestured at the dog tags he always wore, but kept tucked under his vest. 'Did the navy teach you to steal like you do?' she asked with a playful grin. The man opposite her laughed deep in his throat. Catalina stretched her legs out, reclining as best she could in the plastic chair. She drifted for a moment, purely focusing on the beat of the music, allowing her eyes to close.

Sully's eyes passed over her while she was distracted, following the line of her neck up to the curve of her lips, the slight upturn of her nose and the mess of curly hair that framed her face. He hadn't grown tired of gazing at her since their first meeting in the alleyway. Ah hell, he'd flirted with so many women, why he couldn't just come out and say  _she_  was beautiful?  _It's 'cause you've gotten to know her you stupid bastard_.

Catalina inhaled deeply, rousing herself and rising from her seat. She leant against the balcony railings and looked down at the road.

'Penny for ya' thoughts?' Sully asked.

Catalina looked over her shoulder at him, her brow cocked. 'Qué?'

Sully stood up, slowly approaching her to lean on the metal rail as well. 'What's on ya' mind?' he clarified.

'Todo,' she replied. 'Everything. Everything is crazy.' She waved her hands to exaggerate her point. 'But, it is a good thing I have someone handsome looking after me.' Her eyes were completely fixed on his and the beam on her face exuded mischief.

Sully removed the cigar from his mouth before it fell out. She had moved closer to him without him being aware of it. His attempt at forming a sentence failed. 'Victor,' his name was only a whisper now she was right next to him.

'Call me Sully.'

He pulled her flush against him with one strong arm, forgetting about his cigar and letting it slip from his hand. His now free hand gently caught her face, bring her lips to his. His thumb rubbed back and forth across her cheekbone. Her skin was soft against his calloused fingers. Catalina used one of her hands to push him back just enough to force them to stop kissing, much to Sully's disdain.

'Cama,' she muttered, nodding towards her room. It was one word Sully knew very well and quickly brought her mouth back to his. As she tried to move towards the bedroom, her hands ran across his shoulders and under Sully's shirt, easing it off and on to the floor. His skin tingled under her skittering fingers, as they ran across his muscles and into his hair. Sully held back the growl that threatened to escape as her hands clawed through his short locks.

Catalina's thighs hit the edge of her bed. She pulled away, allowing Sully to watch as she reached to the clasp of her bra. The offending item of clothing slipped to the floor, leaving her stood before him, her brown skin lit faintly by the street lamps outside. She was captivating.

'Goddamn…'

She stifled her giggle, tugging at the hem of his vest. Sully didn't need much more convincing than that.

* * *

Translations:

Todo - Everything


	10. Chapter 10

It didn't take much convincing from Catalina for Sully to agree that they needed to "lay low" for more than just a few days. Two days quickly became a week. Sure, he'd spent periods of time with women before – a week, maybe two, on one occasion even a month while he was on leave from the navy – but it was nothing like any of those times. He felt comfortable around her, forgetting his usual urge to up and leave. He might eventually have to, but he consciously knew he didn't want to.

Catalina didn't behave like the women Sully was used to. Yes, she flirted and yes, she was beautiful, but having gotten to know her first he knew there was more to her than that. There were days of calm, where they could just sit in each other's company. She was very open with him, candid if anything. She told him about her upbringing, things she was interested in, what she wanted to do in the future.

There were other days where they ventured out to practice more shooting or so Catalina could show Sully the rest of the town. There was a small local museum and a church, but besides that major landmarks were one or two towns over.

He had come to see that her youth had not restricted her life experience. She was far more mature than her twenty-two years. He was thankful of that.

x

A week turned into two, not that Sully had kept track of time. It was probably a first for him. He was so alert normally. The thought of the Europeans who might have been on his tail had almost been forgotten. He was far more interested in the woman lying in bed with him. Even partially undressed she could cause him to lose his train of thought; completely naked and he forgot about everything else in the room.

She lay on her front, her head propped up with one hand and a wistful smile on her face. 'I think maybe next time we go out you should buy every pack of cigars the man has.'

Sully chuckled, taking a draw from the one currently between his lips. 'It's like you read my mind.' His eyes passed over the freckled skin of her arms and shoulders and the sweeping arch of her back.

Catalina had come to enjoy the smell of the tobacco from his cigars, mainly because it was a scent that clung to Sully no matter how many times he washed.  _Tobacco and aftershave,_ she thought _._  Her hand trailed across his bare torso, her fingers making the hair stand to attention. She consciously moved her hand lower.

'Sully…'

As if her hand being right  _there_  wasn't enough. His name coated with her accent never failed to get his complete attention.

'Put the cigar down.'

x

A few nights later, Sully woke up when he realised Catalina was no longer in bed. He sat, instantly feeling the breeze coming into the room from the balcony. Donning his boxers and vest he walked towards the open doors. Catalina was stood with her back to him. She had taken his Havana shirt, which was big enough on her to come down to the tops of her thighs.

'Cat?'

She looked over her shoulder at him, a drowsy smile pulling at the corners of her lips. 'I could not sleep,' she explained, as he approached. The tiredness showed under her eyes. In her hand was one of his cigars. She did not miss the questioning look Sully passed her. 'Oh…it was in the pocket,' she patted the top pocket of his shirt, as a pink tint came to her cheeks, 'and I like the smell.'

Sully wasn't entirely sure how to help. But he figured, if she was a fan of scent he could do something about that. He held out his hand and Catalina handed the cigar over. She reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his lighter, passing it to him as well. Sully lit the cigar without question and slipped the lighter back into the pocket himself.

Catalina smiled at him shyly, wrapping her arms about herself. Her ability to still be bashful at times was quite charming. Sully enjoyed the fact she wasn't always trying to be confident.

She leaned into him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. She inhaled deeply at the familiar sent from the cigar. Catalina relaxed even more when Sully's arm wound around her waist, his hand resting on her hip.

Catalina glanced up at him, but he was looking away. She had come to realise that he wasn't great at showing affection. She didn't mind.

They didn't speak for the rest of the time they stood there. And when Catalina dozed off, Sully carried her back to bed.

x

Since she and Sully had become so distracted by each other, Catalina had made an effort to ignore her phone. It had been ringing so much more frequently than usual that in the end she had taken it off the hook. Eventually she decided to put it back. Hopefully three weeks with no reply was enough of a hint for someone to stop calling. Her mind briefly wondered who had been trying to get hold of her so incessantly. She hardly ever got any phone calls from anyone other than Delgado.

The bathroom door opened and Sully stepped out, a towel tied securely round his waist. His hand stroked his jaw. He'd let his stubble get a bit long for his liking over the past few days, but now clean shaving – save his moustache – he was happy. He looked over to Catalina who was already staring back at him. The thoughtful look on her face was quickly washed away by a smile.

'You look good,' she said, as he walked over. She brushed her hand across the smooth skin of cheek. 'No more scratching my face.' Sully laughed, before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

He looked past her at the steaming pots on the hob. 'Something smells good.'

'It is just some of the food I used to cook at the bar.'

'Then I know it's gonna be good.'

Catalina blushed. She enjoyed cooking for someone else in her own flat. And it helped that Sully seemed to love everything she cooked – she'd even shown him a thing or two. He vanished into the bedroom, as she returned to cooking.

Sully searched through his bag for something clean. Most of his clothes were currently drying out on the balcony, so he made do with his second pair of trousers and a vest. The shiny object tucked under the rest of his belongings caught his eye.

He had made light work of stealing the necklace from the town museum. Sully wasn't even sure how much it was worth, but it was a traditional piece of Bolivian jewellery. He'd keep it in his personal collection – a little something to remember his travels here. Or maybe Catalina would like it…?

Sully quickly covered the necklace over before she possibly walked in, with a coy smile on his face. He decided then he wanted to give Catalina the necklace, not now, but he would.

x

Just when she thought she'd heard the last of it, the harsh trill of the house phone distracted Catalina.

'Dios mío!' Catalina grumbled, disrupting the calm of the evening. She had been lying across the full length of the sofa in one of Sully's shirts, using his leg as a pillow. The radio was playing quietly in the background, as Sully explained the components of her handgun and how to get out of certain sticky situations. She had been listening intently until the phone rang.

Her grumbling caused Sully to chuckle, as she rose from her seat to pick up the phone. Just before she spoke she inhaled deeply to calm herself. 'Hola?'

Sully could just about make out the male voice on the other end of the line, talking too quickly for him to understand. Catalina listened closely, the calm in her exterior gradually falling away and turning into deep-set worry. Sully approached her.

'Cat?'

She ignored him to respond to the person. 'Mateo, cálmate…Puedo llamar a la policía!' The man quickly responded.

'What the hell is going on?' Sully persisted in a harsh whisper. Catalina looked him dead in the eye and gingerly handed the phone over to him. Confused, Sully took it from her. 'Who is this?' he asked, restraining the emotion in his voice.

'I've been trying to get hold of you for a long time Mr. Sullivan. I thought you'd be a bit politer than that.'

* * *

Translations:

Mateo, cálmate…Puedo llamar a la policía! - Mateo, calm down...I can call the police!


	11. Chapter 11

'Lagorio,' Sully's brow noticeably furrowed as he spoke. He had thought the man would have given up by now. Lagorio had caught him off guard, but Sully wouldn't let him know that. 'I woulda thought you'd get to me a bit sooner than this.' The man on the other end of the phone laughed sarcastically.

'The barman was very stubborn. Lucky for you, unfortunate for him.' Catalina's eyes widened. She hadn't even considered Mateo in all this and she couldn't help the guilt that constricted her throat.

Sully could hear the laboured breathing of someone in the background, followed by coughing and spluttering. The barman was still alive.

'All this for some money? Does a few thousand dollars really bother you that much?' He refused to let the confidence slip from his voice. Even though he had only met Lagorio briefly he knew he was a weak man – easily angered, but unable to back his aggression up with physical power. If Sully riled him enough, Lagorio would soon lose patience and drop the ball.

'A few  _hundred_  thousand dollars,' Lagorio's voice was already starting to break. 'You stole it from me.'

'Ah, come on,' Sully almost laughed. 'You shoulda known better than to pay me in full upfront. And here I thought you were a good businessman'

'Bastardo!'

Lagorio should have stuck to board meetings and paying big money in bars, Sully thought. Acquiring black market goods was not his forte.

'You either pay me back,' Lagorio had calmed his voice, 'or you do what I paid you to do.' It was a feeble demand.

'I don't think so,' Sully responded.

'I will kill the barman.'

Sully wasn't convinced, although he saw the concern on Catalina's face. If he wanted to, Lagorio would have killed him already. Besides, Lagorio would never want blood on his hands. He was pretty high profile in Italy – he couldn't have his name dragged through the mud with accusations of murder and dealings with criminals.

'If you come to me, you can have him back in exchange for  _my_  money.'

Sully glanced at Catalina. There was a stabbing pain in his chest when he saw the expression on her face. He knew he would hurt her more, but he wouldn't give up his money for someone he didn't know. Sully's expression turned cold as he spoke. 'Like I said, you shouldn't have paid me upfront.' He hung up the phone before Lagorio could get another word in.

Sully had never seen as much emotion as there was in Catalina's eyes when he turned to her. 'Cat…'

'Vete a la mierda,' she said quietly, her voice bitter.

She slammed her bedroom door shut behind her.

x

Sully had dozed off on the sofa. He didn't feel much guilt about his decision. Sure, if Catalina had been the one in trouble he would have acted differently, but he owed nothing to the bartender. He certainly wasn't going to give up so much money for a stranger, nor was he going to put his neck on the line. Catalina would just have to deal with that.  _You don't mean that_.

He was quickly roused when he heard Catalina exit her bedroom. Sully sat up just as she took a seat opposite him. She was still in his shirt.

'Look, Cat, I'm sorry.'

She shook her head. 'I should have known you would put money before people.'

'Not  _people_ ,' he clarified, feeling slightly offended. Surely she could see she was the exception?

Catalina shrugged, unconvinced by his answer. 'A person is worth more than money. And I thought helping someone would be the right thing to do.'

'I acquire items and get paid,' Sully responded. 'It's a job. I'm not in it to do the "right thing".'

'I can see that,' Catalina said harshly. Her face softened again and she leaned in. 'Please,' she restrained her voice from choking, 'Mateo is my friend. I cannot let them do anything else to him.'

Sully's silence was enough of an answer. Deep down Catalina felt a sting of betrayal, although she chided herself for having not realised that something like this was bound to happen.  _Material items before people._  Of course that would be more important to a crook.

Catalina let out a huff and rose from her seat. Sully grabbed her wrist before she could move further away. The motion forced her attention on him.

'We'll find Mateo,' he concluded, looking at her with sharp, grey eyes, 'but there's no way in hell I'm giving up the money.' The firmness of his voice was assuring.

Catalina nodded, her eyes lighting up with joy. 'Gracias,' she said quietly. Sully let go of her and reached for cigar. He wasn't entirely convinced that doing the "right thing" was doing him any favours, but hell, he couldn't deny her. If there was one thing he knew about, it was being let down by the people you thought cared.

Catalina walked away from him, heading back towards her room. She paused at the door and looked over her shoulder at him with an expectant gaze. In one smooth motion his shirt fell off her shoulders to the floor and she vanished into the shadow of the room.

Well, if that wasn't a definite sign she'd forgiven him he didn't know what was.

* * *

Translations:

Vete a la mierda - Fuck you


	12. Chapter 12

'We could check the bar first,' Catalina suggested. She and Sully were sat at the table, a pot of coffee between them, as they tried to work out where they might find the barman. The sun was only just cresting the horizon and the kitchen was lit with a faint, cool light.

Sully considered her proposition, taking a thoughtful draw from his cigar. It might give them a lead considering Lagorio had given no clues as to where he and his men were hiding out. But it wasn't exactly off the beaten track.

'Is there somewhere quieter, out of the way?'

'There are a few abandoned farmhouses,' she replied, 'near where we went shooting. No one really goes there – some believe bad spirits live in them.' That seemed more likely than the bar or anywhere else in the centre of town.

'Wouldn't hurt to take a look.'

They each rose from their seats in quick succession.

'Cat,' Sully put his hand on her shoulder, 'I can't promise that we're gonna find him.' She nodded with understanding, albeit with a rueful smile on her face.

'Sí, but I would rather try than do nothing.' Catalina may have been naïve, but she was no coward.

It was a good attitude to have, but from his experience, Sully knew sometimes it was easier and safer to just walk away.

A few minutes later the pair were on the road that headed out of town. The day was still cool as the sun had not fully risen, but it was already possible to see the waves of heat on the horizon.

They reached a junction in the road, where two narrower paths branched off from the main road. Both were overgrown and unused, however the foliage on the left road had been completely crushed by tyres.

'Looks like your hunch was right,' Sully said, as they followed the tracks.

'I hope so,' Catalina muttered.

She'd brought her gun with her, not that she'd told Sully. The metal felt uncomfortable against her back, which only reminded her how unskilled she was with the weapon. It may have been a bad idea, but Catalina had gone with her gut instinct.

However, in the back of her mind a seed of anger was starting to grow. She wanted Lagorio to get the exact same treatment he had dealt on Mateo.

'Well would ya' look at that.'

Catalina marginally missed bumping into Sully, as he stopped just ahead of her. She looked up ahead, her eyes catching sight of two black cars, which were definitely out of place next to the derelict buildings of the farm.

She scowled at the thought of Mateo being held in one of the buildings and was quickly reminded of the weapon tucked into her belt.

Sully surveyed the area, calculating how many men were inside those walls, what they were armed with, how many he'd have to shoot. With only two cars Lagorio would only have a handful of men for sure. However, Catalina was a novice; even with her level-headedness she was likely to lose her nerve. But he'd promised he'd help.

Sully threw down his burnt out cigar and readied his pistol. 'Come on.'

x

There were more men than Sully had accounted for. It wasn't long till he and Catalina had a ring of ten guns aimed at their heads. With much protest Catalina was forced to walk to the barn, while Sully was escorted to the farmhouse.

He was instructed to sit in an old chair in the living room, his gun on a nearby table, while Lagorio's men stood watch. Lagorio revealed himself a moment later and stood before Sully with an undeniable look of scorn.

It was a grand difference from their first meeting. Lagorio had been surrounded by the comforts and expensive belongings of his Italian office. He was completely out of place in such a derelict building.

Lagorio was in by no means an imposing man; his build was slimmer than Sully's although he may have been the same height. His dark, greying hair was the only hint at how old he actually was, as his olive face appeared quite young, although it was currently fixed with an angry glare.

'Mr. Sullivan.'

'Lagorio.'

The businessman had more confidence in person, especially now he  _looked_  like the bigger man. He didn't intimidate Sully in the slightest; the armed men lining the back wall were another story entirely.

'The sooner we sort this out the sooner I can get out of this place.' Lagorio looked about his surroundings with disgust.

'Not much to discuss,' Sully replied, draping an arm over the back of the chair. 'I thought I made myself clear on the phone.'

Lagorio leaned in. 'The terms have changed.' Every man disengaged the safety on his gun. Sully could feel all five barrels pointed directly at his head. He didn't flinch. He couldn't let Lagorio see him falter; although Sully's brain was working quickly trying to think of a way out of this. Hell, he'd had been in trickier situations than this before. The amateurs hadn't even thought to tie him up.

x

'Mateo!'

The bartender was the first thing Catalina spotted when she entered the barn. Her tone was a mixture of joy and concern. She couldn't tell if he was alive or not. His shirt was stained with fresh and old blood and his head hung forward limply.

'Mateo!' she called again, despite one of the two men ordering her to shut up. This time the bartender raised his head, revealing bruises and cuts all over his face. Relief came to his features when he saw Catalina.

'Sit,' the same man as before motioned to an empty chair.

Catalina glared at him, but sat anyway. The barn was desolate, except for a few rotting crates and scattered blades of hay. 'Estás bien?' she whispered.

Mateo nodded weakly. 'Como me encontraste?'

'Silenzio,' the other guard, who stood closer to Mateo, snapped, reinforcing his words with a harsh kick to Mateo's leg. Catalina snarled at the guard, clenching her fists. The men hadn't been smart enough to check her for weapons. If she was quick she might be able to shoot one or two.  _But what good would that do?_

'Un amigo,' she continued, once the guard had turned his back. Mateo's brow contorted in confusion. 'El hombre de la barra,' Catalina clarified. 'El Americano.' She hoped Sully had found a way out of his own predicament, as she was trying to work out a way of hers. She'd found Mateo, now they just had to get back to town.

* * *

Translations:

Estás bien? - Are you okay?

Como me encontraste? - How did you find me?

Un amigo - A friend

El hombre de la barra. El Americano. - The man from the bar. The American.


	13. Chapter 13

'Either you give me back my money or my men will put five new holes in your head, signore.'

Sully almost rolled his eyes. 'Then how the hell do you plan on getting your money back? What with me being dead and all.' Lagorio's jaw noticeably clenched, as he restrained himself from growling.

'Your death is equal payment.' Lagorio was bluffing. He had made it very clear how much he valued money.

'I'm not buying that,' Sully scoffed, a smug grin tweaking the corner of his mouth.

A dangerous smile came to Lagorio's face all of a sudden. His eyes looked in the direction of the barn, then back to Sully. 'What about your  _friend_  or the money?'

Sully struggled to keep calm at the mention of Catalina. 'You don't touch her,' he snapped, eyes glowing with anger. Realisation came to Lagorio's face.

_Goddamn it._

'Now you have a difficult choice Mr. Sullivan.' Lagorio walked away slightly to lean against the wall, content with how he had riled up Sully. 'You get me my money or I will have her shot. I will even let your face be the last she sees.'

Sully gritted his teeth. He'd let Catalina become his weakness.  _You stupid bastard._  He was so desperate to keep the money, but Cat…Even the thought of it made his chest hurt. Sully glared at Lagorio. 'You're not getting either.'

x

Every few minutes Mateo 's head flopped forward as he struggled to hold it up. Catalina was desperate to get back to Sully, but right now there were two guards to contend with. They currently stood together in the entrance to the barn, their backs turned towards her and Mateo.

'Mateo,' she whispered. When he didn't respond she attempted to lean over to nudge him. She just managed to tug the sleeve of his shirt. Mateo moaned, his body refusing to move. Catalina pulled again at the fabric. This time he opened his eyes to look at her. He was barely able to raise his head.

'Qué?' he asked tiredly.

Catalina glanced at the guards again. They were still facing the opposite way. She quietly got up from the chair and sidled over to Mateo, ducking behind his chair.

'Espera aquí,' she said quietly. Mateo did his best to nod, as Catalina reached for her gun. She recalled everything that Sully had taught her; she released the safety and moved just slightly away from Mateo to aim.  _Just like the bottles_. She pulled the trigger.

The bullet caught one guard in the shoulder, stunning him but not mortally wounding him. By the time his partner had realised what had happened and the wounded guard had recovered Catalina had fired again, shooting the same man in the leg. He collapsed with a cry of pain, clutching his arm.

Catalina ducked, drawing the other guard's attention away from Mateo. He pulled his gun on her and fired repeatedly, his bullets flying wildly around her. She managed to scramble behind one of the rotting boxes, not that the wood would hold for long.

'Dios mío,' she breathed. The gunfire died down. She listened closely from where she hid. The man's footsteps were approaching her. 'Concentrate on the target,' Catalina reminded herself. She rose from her hiding spot, gun already pointed towards the guard. He hadn't expected her to show herself and the bullet she fired caught him of guard.

The guard staggered back, but the bullet had only grazed his arm and didn't stop him from firing his own gun.

'Mierda.'

x

The chaos which had erupted in the barn, was enough to draw away half of the guards in the living room and put the other two on red alert. Lagorio had completely lost his confident demeanour at the sound of gunfire. This had given Sully the perfect opportunity to retrieve his gun.

Without a second thought, he fired at both guards in quick succession. Their bodies slumped to the floor together, blood pooling around them. That only left Lagorio. Sully turned to point his Wes .44 in the man's face, only to find Lagorio had pulled his own gun out.

'We are in a stalemate, Mr. Sullivan,' he sneered. Sully could see his hand trembling holding the gun and the drops of sweat beading on his brow. It was obvious Lagorio didn't know what he was doing, but that could be the worst place for Sully to be right now. Bullets fired by accident could be fatal.

'Give it up, Lagorio,' Sully retorted. More gunfire could be heard from the barn. Sully's concentration faltered at the thought of Catalina amongst the chaos. When he refocused his attention on Lagorio the cold metal of the man's gun was pressed firmly to Sully's forehead. 'You son of a bitch!'

'Your friend is probably dead now,' Lagorio goaded, applying more pressure to Sully's brow. 'You could have just paid me back.'

'Good luck getting your Goddamn money back now!'

The taunting grin on Lagorio's face was suddenly wiped off and turned into a look of horror. His lower lip trembled. Sully couldn't make out why, until he heard the click of a gun's safety catch being released. From behind Lagorio, Catalina appeared, her head tilted to see past Lagorio's taller form.

Relief flooded through Sully at the sight of her. He almost forgot about the gun between his eyes. She looked exhausted and her chest was heaving with laboured breathing, but she was alive.

'Put the gun down, signorina,' Lagorio ordered, his voice trembling.

Catalina shook her head. 'You first.' The adrenalin surging through her body held her steady. After working her way through the guards she was not going to be patient with the Italian. She would feel no reservations about pulling the trigger. 'Or I will shoot  _you_.'

'I don't believe you.'

Sully gave Catalina a glare that said 'don't do it'. Catalina scowled. After all the problems the man had caused and Sully was telling her no.

She lowered the gun, much to Lagorio's relief. His exhaled deeply, his shoulders sagging.

_Too bad_ , Catalina thought.

No sooner had his face relaxed the blade of Catalina's knife cut through his neck. Lagorio's eyes went wide with surprise. The gun slipped from Lagorio's grasp and hit the floor. His body crumpled after it, as blood spluttered from the wound. Catalina watched as he bled out. It took seconds for his eyes to glass over as the life left his body.

'Holy shit…' Sully slipped his gun into his holster, as he stepped past Lagorio's form.

Catalina moved towards him but creased up. The adrenalin was finally wearing off. It was then Sully realised the red stain that was quickly spreading from her abdomen across her blouse. Her entire body slumped, her eyes drifting shut. Her legs gave way underneath her. Sully managed to catch her just in time, holding her body firmly in his arms.

'Cat!' he exclaimed, forcing her to open her eyes. 'You gotta keep your eyes open!' Catalina gave a whine of protest. Sully rolled up her blouse, revealing an ugly bullet wound just below her ribs on her left side. He needed to get her back to her flat. Taking her to a hospital would attract too much attention. He'd have to fix her up himself.

He practically ripped his shirt off to use it to apply pressure to her wound. 'Cat, I need to get you up.'

'But I am tired,' she protested

'I know, but we gotta get to one of those cars outside. Just hold on to me, okay?' Catalina weakly wrapped her arm behind Sully's neck to support herself on his shoulders. '3…2…1.'

Catalina whimpered as Sully hauled her up, his arm wound securely around her waist and holding his shirt in place. 'Just a few steps. You can do that for me right?' Catalina nodded unconvincingly.

'Me siento frío,' she murmured, as they made their way outside. 'Quiero dormir.' She had clearly forgotten her English tongue, as her mind was beginning to shut down. His shirt was damp now, as was his hand.

'Señor!' The bartender got Sully's attention. He was a bit worse for wear, but not fatally wounded. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of Catalina.

'Find the keys to one of those cars.'

Mateo hurried off to search the guards without question.

'Me metiste en esto…' Catalina threatened to collapse again, but Sully scooped her up, her head flopping against his chest. Her face had lost its usual colour. 'Pero te a…' She trailed off.

'Come on, Cat,' Sully shook her. 'Now is not the time for a nap.' He realised then that he was genuinely scared he might lose someone.

Mateo returned shortly, brandishing the keys to the jeep closest to them. He opened the back door, allowing Sully to carefully lay Catalina down.

'Don't you dare let her fall asleep,' Sully ordered, his tone severe but laced with worry all the same. Mateo nodded, climbing into the back seat and resting Catalina's head on his leg.

'Seguir hablando conmigo, Catalina.'

'Just stay awake, Cat.'

* * *

Translations:

Espera aquí - Wait here

Me siento frío - I feel cold

Quiero dormir - I want to sleep

Me metiste en esto... - I got into this...

Pero te a… - Because I...

Seguir hablando conmigo - Keep talking to me


	14. Chapter 14

Sully worked with the upmost concentration, as he focused on sealing Catalina's wound. He lay her out on the kitchen table the moment he burst into her flat. The bullet had gone straight through, so he just needed to stop the bleeding. He'd used unconventional methods to fix himself up all the time; self-surgery was nothing new to him. But Sully knew his own pain tolerance. He had no idea how Catalina was going to handle it.

Sully wished he hadn't dropped Mateo off at the town clinic. He could have used an extra pair of hands right now.

Frantically rummaging through the bathroom, Sully managed to gather a household first aid kit – filled with bandages, gauze and a bottle of surgical spirit – but he would have to cauterize the bullet holes.

'Hang on in there, Cat.'

She was still breathing, albeit faintly. Occasionally her lips would move, although she didn't say anything.

Sully carefully poured some of the surgical spirit over the wound first. With what energy she had left Catalina squirmed and whimpered at the sting. 'Duele…'

Sully produced a knife from one of the kitchen drawers and turned on one of the hob rings. He waited as the fire began to heat the metal blade. He didn't want to do it to her, but there was no other choice. He stood over her, the knife blade now glowing a fierce red. Sully pressed a firm hand to her shoulder.

'I'm real sorry about this.'

He gently applied the blade to the bullet hole. Catalina came to full consciousness in an instant; screaming and crying in pain. 'Hazlo parar!'

Sully pushed harder against her shoulder to try and keep her still. He blocked out her harsh cries and ignored the tears streaming down her face. Sully couldn't stop until he was sure the bleeding had stopped.

The pain was clearly too much, as Catalina passed out again. It wasn't ideal, but it made his job a little easier. Sully pulled the blade away, satisfied with his work. The burn was sure to leave an ugly scar, unfortunate for her. But that damage would pale in comparison if he managed to keep her alive.

Sully reheated the knife blade and fixed up the hole on her back, before cleaning the wounds again and wrapping her abdomen up tightly with the bandages.

He gaze swept over her. She looked calm now, but the paleness of her skin was disconcerting. Sully could only hope that she would pull through. He carefully picked her up. She was cold to the touch. He carried her through to her bedroom and placed her in her bed, covering her partially with the sheets.

'You're gonna be okay.'

Everything seemed to drag by after he left the room. Sully had become so used to Catalina's presence, the lack of it dampened the entire atmosphere of the apartment. He lit a cigar, relaxing at the familiar smell of tobacco. The second of calm was quickly forgotten as he remembered the blood stained table and the current state of his own clothes from carrying Catalina.

Sully threw his dirty clothes in the washing machine before he dozed off. He glanced at the table again – he hated cleaning.  _It can wait_.

He practically fell on to the sofa, letting his head flop back against the cushion as he exhaled. God, he was tired. Part of him wanted to stay awake, but really he knew there was nothing more he could do now. He'd just have to be patient.

x

When Sully checked in on her a day later, he hoped Catalina might be sat up with that charming smile of hers and the life back in her eyes, but it was not the case.

He was surprised by a visit from Mateo later that afternoon. The bartender looked rough; the clinic had fixed him up and his face was now proud with bruises. Sully admittedly was glad to see that Mateo was up and about. At least the trip hadn't been a complete failure.

Mateo moved confidently around Catalina's apartment. He'd clearly come round before. He knew where everything was and that she definitely had beers in her fridge. Mateo held one out to Sully who took it with a thankful nod.

There was a pause as they drank; neither able to start the conversation. 'How is she?' Mateo eventually asked, passing a glance in the direction of the bedroom door.

'Patched her up as best I could,' Sully replied, lighting a cigar. 'She's still unconscious.'

'She will be fine,' Mateo said frankly, leaning against the counter. Sully's brow furrowed. Sure, it was good to think positive, but the bartender's fleeting comment irritated him.

'How d'you know?'

'She managed to fight her way to you with a hole in her side. She will fight now.'

Mateo had surprised Sully with such a philosophical statement. A small smile crept on to Sully's face, a surge of admiration coming across him for Catalina. She amazed him. He just hoped he would have the chance to thank her for saving him.

'I'll hold you to that.'

'Also, gracias, señor –'

'Sullivan.'

'Gracias,  _Sullivan_. I would not be here if you did not come.'

Sully dismissed the gratitude. It wasn't his to take. 'You have Cat to thank for that. She's pretty relentless.'

Mateo chuckled. 'Sí, lo se.' He took a sip from his drink. He considered the man opposite him. The man who Catalina allowed to call her "Cat". The man who she had become so engaged by. The man she had almost died for. She was never like that with him. 'But you helped.' He set down his bottle only half finished. 'I have to go.'

Sully had half expected him to stay longer, not that there was really anything for them to talk about. On second thought, it was probably best; Sully didn't want to endure any awkward conversation.

Mateo let himself out. 'Adios, Sullivan.'

'Adios,' Sully reciprocated amicably, standing in the doorway to watch the bartender leave. Oddly, he found his hope renewed by the younger man. And if what Mateo said was true, then Catalina would surely wake up soon.

* * *

Translations:

Duele... - Hurts...

Hazlo parar! - Make it stop!

Sí, lo se - Yes, I know


End file.
